This article is translated by UiO:GPT Version 4
"Both national, regional, and global energy systems are facing transitions that require political action. Meanwhile, international political changes influence national, regional, and global energy security. I find it very delightful that Equinor will contribute to research that can illuminate this energy political tension", says Claes.
Energy turmoil
The project "Energy Turbulence - the political response" will study the relationship between energy transition and energy security in today's turbulent political situation. Specifically, they will look at the EU's energy policy and the interaction between 'energy-external' changes such as pandemic, war, and climate change on one side, and markets and industrial organization of different energy sectors, particularly oil, natural gas and renewable energy on the other.
"There is a need to understand the dynamics between energy markets and energy politics based on entirely new conditions", emphasizes Claes, who is a professor at the Department of Political Science at the Faculty of Social Sciences (SV).
He explains that the project is part of an ongoing international research collaboration named "Energy in a Turbulent Era", where researchers from the USA, UK, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Finland, and Norway participate.
First to SV
This is the first time the SV faculty has received support for a project through the Academia Agreement (in Norwegian).
"Energy and energy transition raise many social science questions. It is extremely delightful that social science energy research now also has received funding through this agreement. The grant will contribute to building more expertise on this important topic", says SV dean Anne Julie Semb in a news article in Norwegian on UiO's central web pages.
Through the Academia Agreement, Dag Harald Claes' project is supported with around 4 million NOK over five years. This opens up for a Ph.D. or postdoctoral position, according to the professor.
In total, UiO is provisioned up to 57.5 million NOK over five years. The goal of the cooperation is to strengthen research and education within strategically important subject and competence areas for UiO and Equinor. The financed activities are proposed by researchers at UiO and lie within areas that the units themselves prioritize for long-term fundamental research and education.
The other research projects overall deal with climate risk, energy systems, material technology, and carbon storage.
The Academia Agreement was signed on February 26 and applies for the period 2024-2028. The agreement is managed by a steering group with representatives from Equinor and UiO.